Constructivism

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Constructivism

• IPT 301
• Suzy Cox

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Visual Metaphor for Learning

• Do you agree with this?

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Definition of Learning

• Learning is an active process in which learners
  construct their own meaning based on prior
  knowledge and experience.

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Roots of Constructivism

• Piaget
• Vygotsky

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Types of Constructivism

• Individual Constructivism
• Social Constructivism

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Role of Prior Knowledge
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Prior Knowledge

• Schemas
• Draw a house!
• Scripts
• Personal theories
• Interpretations

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Houses
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Top-down v. Bottom-up
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Conceptual Change

• Easy or difficult? Why?
• Example

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Promoting Change

• 1. Identify existing misconceptions before
  instruction begins.
• 2. Convince students that their existing beliefs
  are inadequate.
• 3. Motivate students to learn correct
  explanations.
• 4. Monitor what students say and write for
  persistent misconceptions.

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Discovery Learning

• Video

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Authentic Activities

• http//www.mcps.k12.md.us/departments/eventscience
  /Baseball/EBS.BaseballActivities.html
• http//www.fcps.k12.va.us/KingsParkES/technology/t
  4t/index.htm

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Jerome Bruner

• To instruct someone... is not a matter of getting
  him to commit results to mind. Rather, it is to
  teach him to participate in the process that
  makes possible the establishment of knowledge. We
  teach a subject not to produce little living
  libraries on that subject, but rather to get a
  student to think mathematically for himself, to
  consider matters as an historian does, to take
  part in the process of knowledge-getting. Knowing
  is a process not a product.

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Process of Education
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Readiness
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How?
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Implications

• Children should be provided with study materials,
  activities, and tools that are matched to and
  capitalize on their developing cognitive
  capabilities
• Incorporate all three methods into instruction
  where possible.

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Implications

• Present others ideas
• Emphasize conceptual understanding
• Promote dialogue
• Create a community of learners

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The 5 Es

• Engage
• Explore
• Explain
• Elaborate
• Evaluate

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Assignments

• Read Ch. 10 (pg. 332-361)
• Reading Quiz 5
• Extra Credit Project-based Learning
• Theory Presentation Albert Bandura